Maximizing the Trade Show Experience for Both Exhibitors & Attendees
Trade shows are back, and after virtual environments and solutions showed people the various ways they can engage with their industries, colleagues and communities, it’s as important as ever to ensure a premium experience for attendees. But what about the vendors exhibiting the show? Experience isn’t a one-way street for just “end users;” the show exhibitors need to see the benefits, too. Gary Church, Strategic Accounts Executive at Designed Conveyor Systems, joined Tyler Kern on this episode of On Time In Full to lend his expertise on timely tips for creating an unforgettable trade show experience for exhibitors and attendees.
Church remarked that attendance for trade shows is ramping up again after two years of the pandemic, and attendees are excited to come out and see what exhibitors have to offer. He cautioned, though, that companies shouldn’t magically expect to generate sales just by being a vendor that sets up an exhibit.
“If you’re going to exhibit at a show, you’ve got to work on strategy, structure, and then implementation. And you’ve got to build it internally,” Church said.
No matter the size of the event or the strategy an exhibitor maps out, trades hows are a prime selling opportunity, and vendors need to take every advantage a show affords and make the most of them. Church said that the pre- and post-show events could be just as, or even more important than, the main show.
Some of the same strategies and thought processes that go into a vendor’s role in a trade show apply to attendees.
“If you’re an attendee, what you want to ask yourself and for your company is number one, ‘why are we going to this show,’ Church said. “What are our goals, and what exhibitors, vendors, and suppliers do we really want to get to and talk to?”
When attendees complete a show, they should walk away with new information and contacts that can benefit their company and their customers.
